Exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248561-B2
Application number	US-201916719112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine includes an outer nozzle wall, a centerbody arranged in a flow channel, and two struts connecting the centerbody to the wall. A first strut is connected to the wall by a first connection allowing movement of the strut relative to the nozzle wall in the axial direction. Another strut is connected to the wall by a second connection allowing movement of the strut relative to the wall in the radial and axial directions. The second connection is formed by a sliding element and a receiving slot, wherein the sliding element includes an interaction zone interacting with an actuator for axial movement. The interaction zone has a radial length such that the interaction between the actuator and the interaction zone is maintained when the sliding element is moved in the radial direction by radial thermal expansion of the strut and/or the centerbody.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine, wherein the exhaust nozzle comprises:
an outer nozzle wall,
a flow channel which is limited radially outwards by the outer nozzle wall,
a centerbody arranged in the flow channel, and
at least two struts, including a first strut and a second strut, connecting the centerbody to the outer nozzle wall,
a first connection connecting the first strut to the outer nozzle wall, the first connection constraining movement of the first strut relative to the outer nozzle wall in a radial direction and in a circumferential direction but allowing movement of the first strut relative to the outer nozzle wall in an axial direction,
a first actuator interacting with the first strut for displacing the first strut in the axial direction,
a second connection connecting the second strut to the outer nozzle wall, the second connection constraining movement of the second strut relative to the outer nozzle wall in the circumferential direction only but allowing movement of the second strut relative to the outer nozzle wall in the radial and axial directions,
a second actuator interacting with the second strut for displacing the second strut in the axial direction,
wherein the second connection is formed by a second sliding element extending radially from a radial outer end of the second strut and a second receiving slot extending in the axial direction in the outer nozzle wall, wherein:
the second sliding element is at least partly arranged in the second receiving slot,
the second sliding element comprises an interaction zone in which the second sliding element interacts with the second actuator for axial movement of the second strut, and
the interaction zone has a radial length such that the interaction between the second actuator and the interaction zone is maintained when the second sliding element is moved in the radial direction by radial thermal expansion of the second strut and/or the centerbody.

2. The exhaust nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the second sliding element is formed as a flat element having a surface that extends in the axial direction, wherein the interconnection zone for interacting with the second actuator is formed by a toothing in the surface of the second sliding flat element.

3. The exhaust nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the toothing forms a toothed rack, the toothed rack comprising teeth formed substantially in the radial direction, wherein a main direction of the toothed rack is axial.

4. The exhaust nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the second actuator comprises a worm screw that interacts with the toothing formed on the surface of the second sliding element.

5. The exhaust nozzle of claim 4 , wherein the second actuator and the toothing of the second sliding element form a worm and rack drive.

6. The exhaust nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the interaction zone radial length that is at least equal to a maximum radial expansion that the first and second struts and the centerbody experience between a cold condition and maximum temperatures reached during operation of the gas turbine engine.

7. The exhaust nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the second receiving slot is formed as a slot with rectangular cross-section.

8. The exhaust nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the second receiving slot has a radial length that is larger than a maximum radial expansion of the first and second struts and of the centerbody between a cold condition and temperatures reached during operation of the gas turbine engine.

9. The exhaust nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the first connection is formed by a first sliding element and a first receiving slot, wherein
the first sliding element extends radially from a radial outer end of the first strut,
the first sliding element extends in the axial direction,
the first receiving slot extends in the axial direction in the outer nozzle wall,
the first sliding element is form-fitted in the radial and circumferential directions to the first receiving slot, and
wherein the first actuator interacts with the first sliding element.

10. The exhaust nozzle of claim 9 , wherein the first sliding element and the first receiving slot comprise, in cross section, corresponding keyhole shapes.

11. The exhaust nozzle of claim 9 , wherein first sliding element comprises a toothing, wherein the first actuator interacts with the toothing.

12. The exhaust nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the toothing forms a toothed rack in the first sliding element.

13. The exhaust nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator is formed by a worm screw that interacts with the toothing of the first sliding element.

14. The exhaust nozzle of claim 13 , wherein the first actuator and the toothing of the first sliding element form a worm and rack drive.

15. The exhaust nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the first sliding element comprises a radial outer section, wherein the toothing is formed in the radial outer section of the first sliding element.

16. The exhaust nozzle of claim 15 , wherein the radial outer section of the first sliding element is formed as a cylinder, wherein the toothing is formed in the radial outer side of the cylinder.

17. The exhaust nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises exactly two struts, the first strut being connected to the outer nozzle wall by the first connection and the second strut being connected to the outer nozzle wall by the second connection.

18. The exhaust nozzle of claim 17 , wherein the first connection is realized in an inboard area of the nozzle located adjacent an aircraft fuselage and the second connection is realized at an outboard area of the nozzle located remote to the aircraft fuselage.

19. The exhaust nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is configured as the nozzle of a supersonic gas turbine engine.

20. An exhaust nozzle of a gas turbine engine, wherein the exhaust nozzle comprises:
an outer nozzle wall,
a flow channel which is limited radially outwards by the outer nozzle wall,
a centerbody arranged in the flow channel, and
at least two struts, including a first strut and a second strut, connecting the centerbody to the outer nozzle wall,
a connection connecting the first and second struts to the outer nozzle wall, the connection constraining movement of the first and second struts relative to the outer nozzle wall in a circumferential direction but allowing movement of the first and second struts relative to the outer nozzle wall in radial and axial directions,
first and second actuators respectively connected to the first and second struts for displacing the first and second struts in the axial direction,
wherein the connection includes a sliding element extending radially from a radial outer end of one of the first and second struts a receiving slot extending in the axial direction in the outer nozzle wall, wherein:
the sliding element is at least partly arranged in the receiving slot,
the sliding element comprises an interaction zone in which the sliding element interacts with the actuator for axial movement of the one of the first and second struts, and
the interaction zone has a radial length such that the interaction between the actuator and the interaction zone is maintained when the sliding element is moved in the radial direction by radial thermal expansion of the one of the first and second struts and/or the centerbody.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co Kg

Inventors

• Todorovic Predrag

Classifications

• F05D2250/41

  with one degree of freedom · CPC title

• F05D2240/91

  on a stationary structure · CPC title

• F05D2240/128

  Nozzles · CPC title

• F05D2260/941

  particularly aimed at mechanical or thermal stress reduction · CPC title

• F02K1/08 Primary

  by axially moving or transversely deforming an internal member, e.g. the exhaust cone · CPC title